Breakthrough title for Astra
Astra Giurgiu are celebrating their first ever Romanian championship after wrapping up the title without even taking the field on Sunday. Closest rivals Steaua Bucureşti needed to beat Pandurii Târgu Jiu to keep the race alive, but a 1-1 result in that match handed Astra the crown with two games remaining – with Steaua five points back and just one match left.
“We don’t need to be modest because this is the reality: we played the best football among all the top-division sides and deserved to win the title,” said coach Marius Șumudică, who clinched the first league crown of his coaching career. “It was a very difficult year for …